Traditionally, pallets have been made from pieces of wood which have been nailed together. The use of wood pallets has created a multitude of problems in the industry. They are heavy, expensive to transport, not amenable to recycling, and have a limited lifetime. When goods are shipped on pallets, the recipient of those goods is made to bear the expense of returning the pallets to the sender, which may cut severely into the recipient""s profit margin. Certainly, pallets may be reused, but their life expectancy is disappointingly short when compared to the costs they engender during their limited time of usefulness. Construction of pallets uses valuable raw materials, with little or no hope of recycling once the pallet""s life has run its course. Many dispose of used pallets in landfills, but with so many landfills already filled to capacity, premium charges are levied against such disposers of pallets past their prime.
The patent literature, aware of the problems of using wood, is fairly rich in teachings related to pallets made from materials other than wood, such as cardboard. These teachings, however, have met with modest commercial success, despite the apparent advantages associated with cardboard. The problems common to this category include cost of production, durability and the ability to withstand the loads imposed on the pallet during use which is typically quite severe.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant""s acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art.
Eagle Packaging, Inc., xe2x80x9cPallet Bulk Bin Flyerxe2x80x9d, Entire Flyer
Corrcycle, Inc. xe2x80x9cRecycled Corrugated Products Brochurexe2x80x9d, Entire Brochure
Stone Container Corporation xe2x80x9cStone Cordeck Pallets Brochure xe2x80x9cEntire Brochure, February 1986
Pallite Co., Inc., Flyer xe2x80x9cLightweightxe2x80x94Disposable 4 Wayxe2x80x94Single or Double Deck Flyerxe2x80x9d, Entire Flyer, 1991
Smurfit Pallet Systems, xe2x80x9cPayLoad Pallet Brochurexe2x80x9d, Entire Brochure
Smurfit Pallet Systems, xe2x80x9cPayLoad II Brochurexe2x80x9d, Entire Brochure
Smurfit Pallet Systems, xe2x80x9cPayLoad Pak Brochurexe2x80x9d, Entire Brochure
Stone Container Corporation, xe2x80x9cCorrugated Container Brochurexe2x80x9d, Entire Brochure
Stone Container Corporation, xe2x80x9cStone-A-Matic Flyerxe2x80x9d, Entire Flyer
Stone Container Corporation, xe2x80x9cCross Docker Flyerxe2x80x9d, Entire Flyer
Stone Container Corporation, xe2x80x9cCorDeck Brochurexe2x80x9d, Entire Brochure
The present invention is distinguishable over the prior art in a multiplicity of ways. Initially, the invention provides a method to produce a pallet that is easy to manufacture and may be recycled at the end of its useful lifetime. During its lifetime, the pallet is lightweight yet strong, and may be handled like any conventional pallet.
The pallet is constructed of a laminate, which is formed into stringers and ribs, an inner skin blank, and an outer skin blank. The stringers and ribs are formed from a stringer blank, which is die-cut and sliced into strips. This stringer blank contains body pieces and locking keys, which are used to assemble the stringers and ribs for the pallet. The body pieces are folded along score lines and placed into a rectangular shape, which has one continuous and planar edge and one crenellated edge. The crenellated edge contains grooves which receive the locking keys. The keys are inserted into the grooves until the edges are coplanar with the edges of the body pieces, providing stability and rigidity to the stringers and ribs.
The stringers and ribs are positioned on and attached to the inner skin, parallel to its long axis. The inner skin is rotated 90xc2x0 and placed on the outer skin, and the inner and outer skins are wrapped about the stringers to provide a pallet that has two plies on the top and the bottom. Each end of the pallet contains apertures adapted to receive forklift tines, and the bottom of the pallet contains portals that may be suitable for wheel clearance on some material-handling devices, commonly know as xe2x80x9cpallet jacksxe2x80x9d.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method for forming a pallet and the pallet itself.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet that is relatively lightweight and sturdy.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet as characterized above which is simple to fabricate and easily lends itself to mass production.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet that is recyclable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet that utilizes plural layers of cardboard with plies running perpendicular to one another for added strength.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet that is less expensive to manufacture and dispose of than conventional wooden pallets.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet that incorporates two plies on the top and bottom of the pallet for added strength.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet as characterized above wherein stringers are assembled from a pre-cut blank that is easy to produce.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet as characterized above utilizing stringers having enhanced strength from locking keys.
Viewed from a first vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet comprising, in combination: an inner rectangular blank, and an outer rectangular blank, said inner and outer rectangular blanks orthogonally related, said outer blank overlying said inner blank upon assembly, said inner and outer blanks providing two plies on top and bottom portions of said pallet.
Viewed from a second vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet comprising, in combination: an inner blank, an outer blank, and a stringer blank, said stringer blank including cutouts and scorelines adapted to conform to stringers disposed upon said inner blank and subsequently enveloped by said inner blank, and then said outer blank.
Viewed from a third vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for forming a pallet, the steps including: forming a stringer blank to define stringers, forming an inner and an outer blank to register such that flaps of said inner blank are offset from flaps of said outer blank, and assembling said stringers to lie within said inner blank and then said outer blank.
Viewed from a fourth vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for constructing a pallet, the steps including: forming two rectangular blanks, arranging said rectangular blanks in a cruciform pattern, said pattern including an overlapping portion and flaps, attaching stringers to said overlapping portion of said cruciform pattern formed by said rectangular blanks, parallel to the long axis of one of said rectangular blanks, wrapping said flaps of said blanks about the stringers, securing said wrapped flaps of the pallet, and punching apertures into end portions of the pallet.